2.1
Quality4.0
Difficulty23%
Would Retake282
Reviews23%
Would Retake
282
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
282 total ratings5
31
4
28
3
34
2
53
1
136
What Students Say
“Just choose another professor”
PHY2048C - 2.0 rating“Costas is not a good teacher”
PHY2048C - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
20%
Textbook Required
72%
Grade Predictor
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Predicted Grade
B
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Reviews (281)
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Horrible teacher, rude, unhelpful, his final is easy but the rest of the semester sucked.
Very hard to follow (thick accent) and not very helpful.
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This guy is extremely rude and all of his tests are derivations and proofs, most of which were never discussed in class
I'm completley lost
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He told me I was going to fail and should drop out of school because I could not hang! To say the least I got a C in his class but his tests are really hard -- He is too full of himself!
Worst teacher I have ever had in my life
He is very hard to understand. I don't remember him using a microphone, so it's hard to understand. The tests are MEGA hard. He told us that we are stupid and that we should all drop because we didn't understand it.
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Lectures are hard to follow and exams are very difficult. Study the proofs! You won't use any numbers!
Lectures are very hard to understand. Hardly speaks english and jumps right into formulas and problems without explaining it first. I HAD TO WITHDRAW FROM HIS CLASS. Uses old fashioned overhead projection which is very hard to read in such a big room.
The class sucks. Its just derivations and proofs. The tests are really hard, and you have to put so much effort into the class for a grade you do not know what you will get, even though you might know all the material for the tests.
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This is a very hard class. Do not take this class if you don't have the time spend. Assign's homework frequently. His tests are 4 questions, final is 5, most STRAIGHT from the notes or homeworks, no difference at all. Tough teacher, but would reccomend.
avoid if possible, he gives a curve at end of class, but normally not enough to pass. His tests are very hard, NOT always from the notes. He goes very very fast.
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Horrible. enough said.
AAAAHHHH!!! how I despise him so!
Pain in the neck, really annoying to listen to. Ok to take if you know what you're doing but have to get credit if you don't mind annoying accents and misuse of english, technology, etc.
Extremely boring - I slept throughout the class. His grading policies are awful. His accent is extremely thick and hard to understand. Treats you like a 2 year old. Do not take!!! Find another teacher!!!
Liked the course itself but teacher needs to losen up and realize we're college students not 2 year olds.
Never take him....ever!!!!! Worse teacher I have ever had in college. Treats you like a two year old if you ask a question. Class averages on tests were about 45%
``Costas', as he likes to be called, is the most organized professor you will ever meet. He has a rare formalism and if you are not an idiot (or if you try hard enough) you will do well.
I loved this guy. He was very amusing. Attendance mandatory- he uses those CPS units to ask questions in class. Studying is required to pass, but its not horribly difficult. He didnt treat my class like two year-olds. maybe we didnt act like we were 2.
Take the physics in film section plays movie clips in class, does experiments in class, tests are pretty easy, easy extra credit, attendance is part of your grade, his A-B grading scale is like 75-100! so yea you only need a 75 to get a B
His accent is hard to understand and you suffer because of it. He isnt a great teacher at all. He posts his lecture notes on the web and he teaches off of those. Test are semi-hard and cumlative. I probably wouldn't recommend him.
class itself is not hard. teacher is paranoid about "conspiracies" against him and students cheating.
Cannot understand what this absurdly horrible so called professor is saying. Doesn't know how to teach and tests are cumulative with trick questions thrown in. Sounds fun because movies involved, but makes you do outrageous crap w/ the clips. DON'T TAKE!
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I started out the class thinking it was going to be really easy, but its not at all! Tests are very hard and hard to understand. Teacher is confusing!
his accent is so thick it is very hard to understand him.But all of his test come from the lecture notes that he teaches directly from... the class is boring but mandatory for most majors... compared to the other physical science classes, this one is easy
thick accent. hes like the guy from "big fat greek wedding"..."did you know the root of that word is greek? kind of thing. i found it amusing. GO TO CLASS!!! attendance is 15% of grade, plus if you answer quiz ?s right, you get 5% b
Class wasn't bad. CPS was fun, movies were cool. Pay attention in class and you'll be fine, tests had a couple hard questions but overall pretty easy. If you arent an idiot, you'll do fine.
The course sucks, so does he. You can't understand him and his test questions are written in very poor english. Although if you do the cps question in class you'll get at least a B
Very rude when approached for help outside of class. CPS is ridiculous, but mandatory, and worth 15% of final grade. My high B by test scores became a low C because I only answered 80% of the CPS questions instead of 85%, so I got no attendence points.
I thought the class was really easy. I don't know how anybody had any problems! He is a bit hard to understnad, but his slides are pretty self-explainitory. GO TO CLASS! He takes attendance. DOn't buy the books, I never used any of them!!!
class was okay
I was scared to take him because of the bad reviews he's gotten on here, but I think he's one of my favorite professors! DEFINITELY go to class, study a little, and you'll get a good grade. TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONES IN CLASS!!!!
If you go to class every day you will do fine. Attendence is mandatory. Hard to understand. He is a complete douche. His test are not to hard; an A is defiently possible. ALso, don't buy any of the books!!! I never opened them once and got an A.
took this during the summer...it was based around pseudoscience....the best class i've taken at UCF! changed the way i thought about science!! very easy too.
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Thinks Greeks are superior and has a thick accent. I didn't learn one thing from his class. He thinks, (acccented) "calculous" and "pheesics" are better than life itself.
He is unhelpful and rude. He makes it a point to disrespect students. He says people are stupid just because they cannot understand what he is say (heavy accent).
He is great! He gives the best explanations. He has heavy accent but it is not a problem at all. The students who do not like him are indeed bad students. I was reading and I had no problem at all.
This class sucked at first b/c of all the crap you have to buy, but in the end the tests are easy as long as you're there for review and the little remote allows you to rack pts. up for attendance which can make or break you. Oh yeah his english is a C-
His problem is that he is extremely rude and he has a very heavy accent that is difficult to understand. His class is not hard at all, the guy is just a hateful man.
Tough class! Had 3 jobs, a family and also commuting 65 miles one-way to full-time classes then, so I just about failed. He asked why, so I told him all this, and he told me to quit working or I would fail at LIFE! How is my family supposed to eat, then&#
Very good prof. Really knows his stuff. Very excited and makes Quantum fun. Thick accent. No problem though. Cares a lot about students. Go to his office hours. Lazy students hate him. I wish UCF had mor profs like him.
Very unclear professor disorganized. Extremely unhelpful, second rate physicist. Hates humans and only students trying to get good grades in quantum give him high ratings (look below).
Rude & condescending. Points at board with middle finger (only) extended...isn't intentional but it kinda sums up his attitude toward students. Neat in-class demos; arrogant, spiteful teacher. Oh, and if you aren't Greek? You're lower than dirt in his book. Non-Greek & undergrad = double whammy!
Great Prof. The best physicist. Very clear explanations. You have to think and study hard though. Go to his office for help. Rough on the edges, but he does care about you. Talk to him man. Terrible prof. for dummies and idiots.
Nasty, anti-american, should be deported to Greece. Very disorganized professor doesn't teach well at all. He's an F rate scientist who can't deal with it so he picks on undergrads and tries to impress them. It also looks like he writes his own good reviews on here because all the good reviews say
Excellent professor, a master of the subject. His classes are exremely interesting and fun to attend. Cares deeply about his students, spends a lot of time helping them in class and during office hours.
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messing up my grade and told me to go to dean and change it, he is anti-student, hateful and angry scientist. His attitude and behavior is foolish, he thinks he is godhead, and he will be punished by the material laws of nature
He is a very funny guy in class, although VERY opinionated! The experiments he performs in class are very interesting and help you understand what he teaches. Take this over a normal PSC class ANY day!!!
Nice Guy but won't tell you any grades so you have no idea where you stand in the class. The class was great with the supplement of movies to add to learning concepts, Easy to get an A if you do the work and put in a little time studying. Recomended for those who dont mind working at leasta little and learning alot. Watch out for the accent.
This was the most horrible class I have ever taken in my entire life. He has alot of internal anger that he steadily releases on his undergrads. After taking his class, I had second thoughts about being in college. You will lose alot of sleep worrying about any class he teaches. If he is the only teacher available, take the class another semester!!
Low talker, hard to understand, blocks the overhead. I had to withdraw.
He should learn physics before he teaches it.
A failure of a scientist who has to pick on his students to get by. Would be a great teacher if he could get rid of his unfounded ego. Be sure to hang out with him, laugh at his mean spirited jokes and kiss his ass all day if you want to pass...that's pretty much the only way it'll happen unless you're a natural super genius.
i don't know what everyone's problem is. He's an excellent teacher and explains very very well but you have to do the homework to do well. If you are lazy then just don't take him. Duh!
Way too ambitious with content. Impossible to follow unless you already knew complex analysis and linear algebra. Horrific exams. Unapologetic about crucial typos in assignments and exams. Berates/insults students daily... staying motivated was a constant challenge. The most negative professor I ever hope to have. Unless a masochist, STAY AWAY.
You could tell he was trying, but he went way over everyone's head. He was teaching the material out of an appreciative standpoint, but not really giving information on how to solve problems. I highly suggest not taking this class without taking higher level math classes first; treat this one as a review of those classes.
While touted as a survey course, this class is taught as an in-depth review and should be taken AFTER physics 3, complex variables, and vector & tensor analysis. Otherwise, the pace and difficulty of this class is nearly insurmountable—for example, the class test average hovered at 15% for the entire semester.
Best instructor! If you read you will appreciate his great lectures. He always presents beautiful physics and math and his lectures are connected. No gaps.
Worst Professor...a european who obviously doesnt like americans and wants to fail them
This guy sucks. Complains people arent smart enough, maybe if he wasn't stupid he could teach at a better school.
What a jerk! He is way to concerned being afraid of vampires than learning how to be decent to other people. For those who don't know he thinks he disproved vampires as if anyone believes in them.
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Overall 2049 is a hard class, but he is a good professor. Physics 2 is just a complicated class. Learn the first couple chapters well, and you will pass. This prof tests are hard, and its hard to really know where you stand in the class because the average test grades isn't very good. Do good on the final and it will replace your class grade.
Hard class but good. Need to read all the time.
The exams are excrutiating! He does offer some ways to earn extra points and curves the grades at the end of the semester to help some people on the borederline pass. He is very upfront about how difficult he is and that you shouldn't take him if you want a high grade. If you want a teacher that gives easy grades definitely don't sign up for him!
Hard class but very good. His lectures are very organized. It was the first time that I could see the logical relation as we moved from one topic to another.
This professor will try to brainwash you into beleiving everything he says by making you watch second rate movies and comparing their believability to the 'real thing'. He has power control issues, not asking comments from students who could challenge his authority on the psuedoscience areas.
He's really passionate about his subject and is really into teaching. Great professor, lots of examples and stuff. I didn't study for any of the test and pulled a B. I'd take his class again!
Amazing class! The greatest in UCF. TAKE IT. You will learn a lot through movies. The person who wrote the comment two comments below apparently was from another planet! Everyone I know from this calss was extremely positive about it.
Great class. He really likes his job and gives you every chance to pull a good grade. Fair tests. Go to his office hours, it helps a lot. Should have pulled an A, but started very bad. Would certainly recommend him.
Congradulations is in order to the guy two reviews down! You are now a victim of brainwashing! How does it feel?
does try to scare you first day. but his lectures are pretty good, he very organized and willing help. he expects class participation (part of grade-cps). AVE score on first test is about a 50 - 2 tests and final. No curve, he makes the formula sheet himself so know all the formulas. Quizzes and homework every Monday on webassign. Must study A LOT!
We changed profs twice. First we had a guy who did not know what he was doing. Then an asian guy came who was incomplehensible. Then Prof. Efthimiou came. He was great. Best lectures, best organization. Exams were relatively hard but ok if you were reading. I recommend the class. Better to have harder exams than knowing nothing at the end.
I am not sure why the previous person is so negative. He is a great teacher. He does prove the formulae in the book but you learn a lot in the way. His lectures are smooth, well planned, and not circular. Exams are symbolic but, with some practice, they get easier.
Nice guy, horrible teacher. His tests are the worst part of his class. He'll never ask the same question, and final is ridiculous...so don't depend on that to save your grade. I'm contemplating committing suicide due to his horrible final. Trust me, he may seem cool on the outside, but that's not going to be seen on your GPA.
great prof....tests are straight from notes or HW so if you go over them you will get an A....he is also willing to help during his office hours....has a greek accent but its understandable after the second class....definetly take him if possible
HUGE CURVE ON FINAL GRADE!!! There are only two test (4 questions each), web assign is annoying and he isn't very clear. You won't learn anything but he is passable.
Physics in Films: The easiest class I have ever taken. Interesting material but annoying freshmen classmates.
Stupidiest man I have ever met. Though he is knowlegable in his area of expertise, he cannot convey this intellegence AT ALL! Like said before, stupid kids in the class that the professore loved to feed into. Don't buy the book, and take this class for the easiest A but don't get on his bad side!!!
do not take him
Hard guy. Uses no numbers and the 3 tests are difficult with only 4 problems each. Calculators are useless but you still need to know a great deal of Calculus. Need to work hard and study hard if you want a good grade. He does give you extra credit and tells you how to work. This class will either make you or break you. (it broke me)
This guy sucks! He can't teach, and he can't do physics. Costas is useless. Give up!
Costas is a decent teacher... I mean I've taken worse and definately better. He's pretty hard to have discussions with during lectures b/c any question you have, he'll make you sound stupid and any question he has for the class is usually completely irrelevant. Tests are moderately hard... but they are straight from the HW. find a solutions manual!
As long as you do the homework and make sure you understand it, you'll do fine on the tests. All of his questions come from the hw/suggested problems. Tons of personality. My favorite professor at UCF.
I'm not physics-minded so I went to his office a lot. He is WORTHLESS at explaining problems: complicates, gets lost in his own thoughts, unclear. Go to a SARC tutor; they're AMAZING. Exams are written, not too difficult if you study Webassign problems. All proofs are fair game on exams. Take lecture notes even though he advises you not to!
HORRIBLE TEACHER! GIVE UP! HE SUCKS AND HE NEEDS TO LEARN HOW TO SPEAK ENGLISH. i have been to class every single day and have not learned not one thing! dont take this class!
waste of money and time
(Summer A) Not a very effective teacher. Does not speak English clearly, so the questions are hard to understand a lot of the time-even on the tests. Requires you to watch a lot of movies. Will talk for an hour about irrelevant topics like psychics, time travel, astrology etc....and it is completely useless for the tests. Would not recommend.
I think students just don't like him because they didn't do so well on the test because thery are dumb. If you go to class, write down the clicker questions, and do the homework assignments, studying isn't really that neccessary. His class was fun and the movies were good for the most part.
He has an accent, and sometimes lectures may appear irrelevant (astrology, time travel, etc.) But if you pay attention, you will succeed in this class because the grading scale is really easy. Fair warning though: If you are religious, you may be insulted by this professor's attitude towards religion and creationism. I still recommend him, however.
A little out there but all in all a good professor. His tests are straight from the lecture notes and he keeps class interesting for the most part. You get i-clicker credit and he adds a load of extra credit at the end of the semester.Actually learned alot in his class. Taking him again for PHY 2049.
Hated lecture - got A in lab, F in lecture. Felt lost, though studied all the time. Had no clue what my test scores were. Teacher not helpful. I changed my major as a result of this class.
He uses no numbers thats why people say he is "hard" wonderful person but in class can seem like he dosent care. HE DOES!!!! He gives you more then enough chances to get a good grade in the class. Got this better then I did Physics 1 (took twice cause I failed the first time) If i can do that and get an A+ here anyone can. AWESOME TEACHER!!!
worst proffesor/teacher I have ever had in my entire life. Do Not take this useless excuse of a teacher. He just tries to make you feel usless, when in fact he is the usless one reseraching and writing reports in his free time on vampires and ghosts.
He is a good professor. People say he is hard, but its the subject that is difficult. I got 15% on my first test and still ended up with a B+. You need to work hard and pay attention to what he says. He appears to not care and it looks like his only goal is to humiliate you, but the truth is that he just wants to push you, and you will thank him.
He is AWFUL at teaching explorations in mathematics, I believe it's his first year. You can tell he's clearly incompetent and overwhelmed with large classes. He also likes to do "trick questions" to show how clever he is , which confuses everyone except himself. His english is sometimes unclear and adds to confusion. I DO NOT RECOMMEND HIM.
terrible. incomprehensible. slaughters english.
bad. bad. bad. save yourself. dont suffer like we suffer. do not take this class if he teaches it.
I just dropped this class because it was beyond ridiculous. It wasn't think I was simply struggling with tests and homework- He went on strange, random tangents all throughout class. He struggles teaching to a large class. He doesn't like taking questions so you better hope you never have any. We barely used the textbook. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!
Freaking worst teacher everrrrrrrrrr. i am begging you guys, save your selves!
Senior History major, assumed it'd be an easy math credit, which I need. The class serves as a vehicle for him to demonstate his views, some of which I agreed with, but he clearly thinks hes better than everyone. Clearly can't handle a large class.
Absolutely the worst teacher I have had at any time. He tries to prove a point by making a seemingly easy class difficult. No matter what you study, there will be items on the test that you will not understand. Speaks with an accent, teaches irrelevant material, makes you watch useless movies/read a 300 page comic book, and a terrible instructor.
Worst teacher. I'm taking Explorations in Mathematics but take my advice, if Costas is the only one teaching it, do yourself a favor and take a more challenging class. Doesn't explain any material on tests, doesn't explain concepts well. Has no control over class. Total waste of time. Haven't learned a thing. I was more challenged in HS pre algebra
Is difficult to understand and follow, constantly contradicts himself, Does not speak english very well
I took this class even though I saw his RMP grade and knew it was low. BAD IDEA. He can't control a class; everyone talks and he tries to talk broken english over them. The concepts don't make sense and the movie assignments are tedious. Nobody takes the class seriously and if you are really trying to learn, take another professor. :[
Explorations in Mathematics is supposed to be extremely easy for me, being actually pretty good at math, but this teacher spends most of his time instructing us "americans" about how dumb he thinks we are and doesnt teach a thing. I read the book, and the lectures, and the questions he puts on the test are irrelevant and incomprehensible
worst teacher i've ever had! it's bad enough he can't SPEAK english but he can't type it either, so slides and test questions can get confused. DONT take him if you want a chance to pass. on his latest test the highest grade was a 68! his office is always filled with failing kids (most stated getting grades in single digits out of 100)
I'm not going to sit here and completely tear him apart, but I'll tell you this, DON'T take him. I love math but I would rather try and learn trigonometry from an Iranian cab driver. He doesn't teach, but conveniently for us we cant understand him anyways. If you want a class that will teach you nothing and help lower your GPA, take this class...
Seeing as it's the end of the semester, I deemed it suitable to finally write a review of this terrible professor. You will be expected to spend an obscene amount of money for a GEP course. In class, the man is impossible to understand, and constantly has problems with his computer. There aren't enough letters allowed for me to describe this class.
This is honestly the worst teacher that i have ever had in all my year of schooling. He is rude, un-helpful, and incomprehensble. His test are impossible to pass becuase one, you don't know what is being asked (bc of his poor English), two, he will not translate, and three, he likes to "trick" students. Basically, DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR..EVER!
Don't take this class, it is a waste of time and you will not learn a thing. Even if you are told to take explorations in mathematics bc math isn't your strongest subject, do yourself a favor and take another class. This class will unnecessarily lower your gpa and, piss you off. He needs to stop teaching. He has no control and no idea what he's doi
Stay away from this guy unless you truly want a challenging class that will most likely hurt your GPA with a terrible professor.
If u want to learn dont take this guy as a teacher . I took him fr MGF 1107 biggest mistake ever .... take it from me dont do it !!!!!!!!!!!
I didn't graduate college because of this guy. That's right my last class he gave me a D instead of a C because I did not answer 85% of the clicker questions for participation points. I was there 85% of the classes and told him how he never had the same amount of questions every day and so I missed days with more questions apparently. Garbage
Waste.Of.Time. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS! i took it because I thought it would be easy, but no. He will NOT teach you anything, he can barely speak english, and he is completely unorganized. He spent enitre classes on dragons and vampires, BUT THAT WASNT ON THE TEST! stay away!
There are so many horrible things I could say about this class. From his lack of English, to test questions unrelating to the material, to useless assignments. Do yourself a favor and STAY AWAY!
I graduate in April... This is worst professor at UCF. He doesn't keep track of grades well. His tests are random and NOT what is on the exam. You will get a D... This class is impossible. Don't take. please. save yourself a lot of headaches.
Impenetrable accent. Fails to effectively describe the procresses needed to understand and perform even the simplest computations. Highly condescending. Despite the significant overall curve, would not recommend based solely on stress.
For the test he likes to change up the Homework questions so its something you have never seen before. In order to get a good grade you have understand everything of the homework, and not just how to solve it, The test questions are Symbolic and doesn't give out partial credit.
DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR FOR ANY CLASS HE EVER TEACHES! He is extremely disorganized. He likes to make everything that goes wring somehow the students fault. He seems flustered constantly. He is unreasonable, if you ask him a question expect him not to have an answer and to give you an attitude about it. If you have to take him. Im sorry.
This man is infallible. That is my statement.
What else should I have to say to convince you to avoid this man at all costs?
Costas is a brilliant man. I am honored to have had him as a professor. His analytical mechanics class required alot of independent work and comfort with mathematical formalism, so be a well prepared student. Don't expect him to spoon feed you..of course at this level we ought to be used to it by now...I don't recommend him for non-physics majors.
What a joke. The setting of the classroom was like a SNL skit.He taught us ridiculous topics unrelated to math about 50 ft woman and vampires. Our assignments were to watch movies such as King Kong and Sherlock Holmes and write about how there was math in it. He would let the class'talking overpower him and get in the way over his teaching.
His lectures are great but if you fall behind, you are done for good. He does not slow down. However, he is the only person who showed to me how connections are made in the various areas of physics. All my other profs had no idea (or so I think) about the big picture in physics. If you cannot work on a continuous basis, avoid him.
No matter how much homework you do, how much you study, or how much you understand the lab, that will not help you on tests. For my class the average test grades were in the 30% range. He will not curve, he will only tell you how unintelligent you are and that you do not try hard enough. Avoid him if you can. The textbook is the only way to learn.
Costas is a really hard professor. He will not curve. He will not feel bad for you. Yet, he actually wants you to learn the material. You will have to study the book a lot... but he wants you to do this so you truly understand the material. His tests will make sure you do. If you don't study YOU WILL FAIL
I had him for Physics 1 and Physics 2 and got A's in both. He encourages you to derive and think your way through a problems instead of "plug and chug" which is what real learning is all about.
I haven't missed a single class but I still do terrible on tests. His accent is difficult to understand most of the time. He is a really nice guy but he has a hard time getting clear information out. Most of the time the test questions are irrelevant to what was discussed in class. Recommend finding a different professor.
really confusing mostly because of his accent. he claims his tests are based on iClicker questions and practices tests in the text, not true. He also told us we wouldnt need the book at all on the first day of class and decded that we should be reading it half way through the semester. His test are hard, even if you read and attend every class.
This teacher is awful. you cant understand what he says and you basically learn nothing. If you are looking for an easy class biology would be better.
He is hard to understand due to his accent and he is too used to teaching higher level physics. I feel like I learned nothing in the class. Sometimes the clicker questions are easy but when you get to the exams it's completely different. In danger of failing this class. Not easy at all. Don't take this class or just find someone else to teach it.
As long as you have moderate intelligence and attend every lecture you will get an A. His accent isn't as bad as everyone says and he's very helpful when asking questions. I knew nothing about science before this class and learned alot.
I don't need sciences for my major. I took this for the gen ed credit expecting it to be the easiest. WRONG. He is horrible - hard to understand, not very helpful, doesn't respond to emails. He teaches like it's a higher level physics class. iClicker questions are not consistent with the exams. Cumulative final. I had straight A's until this class.
May have been a good teacher, if I ever understood a word he said. The class was a lie to start, because it is supposed to be physical science, but suprise, it's physics, and your teacher's english is lacking. The tests are hard,not only because of the forementioned lacking English, but also the material. There are 2 papers(hw)& you use iclickers.
Has an accent, but you can understand him. Nice guy, but it's a struggle to stay awake. Wording of clicker questions was weird. Not a great class.
His class is not the easiest, but he is NOT a bad professor by any means. Sometimes it's a little hard to grasp the concepts, but he is completely willing to help you if you seek help. His accent is not that bad! He does a lot of cool demonstrations (volunteers anyone?). Overall it's a good class. Just get help when you need it. I made an A.
Heavy accent and is very hard to understand. Attendance is mandatory due to clicker questions. 2 easy homework assignments but 4 tests that are very difficult. Questions on test are so poorly worded and convoluted that they are very hard. And half are trick questions. Felt like this class could have been more effective with a different teacher.
Really not as bad as everyone says. The entire class is layed out for you. Do the two papers and go to class so you can get the clicker points for attendance. Accent is very understandable.
Really a brilliant guy. Explained complicated content in a clear and concise manner. He does have expectations for student performance, but they are pretty reasonable. He is not difficult to understand. Always responded promptly to any questions, including on weekends. I'd take another type of class with him for sure.
Cannot stand this man. Not only as a teacher, but as a person. The one time I needed help from him, he literally turned his back on me because he didn't want to deal with me. Has a thick, very annoying accent. Spends the majority of class time on experiments that are interesting, but at the end of the class period, I felt I had learned nothing.
He taught us to like the movie "The Secret". He understands that a belief in a presence in the universe is important to doing good physics. He is pretty good at physics.
There is no feedback in this course at all. You turn in 3 assignments and never get them back, you go into the final clueless. Then, the final is an oral presentation on some research paper, which he gives no guide lines for and says write something with Catastrophe Theory. During your oral he intentionally tries to throw you off. DO NOT TAKE!
Do not take his class unless you already have a firm grasp of physics. He hates the book, so he does his own thing for the lectures and exams, but the homework quizzes and labs still follow the book. His exams are made up of only derived eqations. On our first day of class he told us not a lot of people pass his class and I wish I took his warning.
Costas was a really funny guy and his lectures were engaging. I didn't show up to class very much and I did well on the tests. He goes over really complicated problems in class, but the exam questions are clear and are similar to examples in the book. As long as you're decent at applying formulas, you should do well in this class.
This summer class was told to us on the first day of class to be an experiment and it looks like it is failing. I'm taking a Physical Science class but all we are doing is watching sci-fi movies, 12 in 6 weeks to be exact. There are no study guides or reviews so good luck expecting what will be on the exams.
Taking a summer class with him is a nightmare. I've spent at least $40-50 on stupid sci-fi movies and some of them have nothing to do with science and more with the apocalypse. If you miss a class, you usually don't miss a lot. He tends to belittle the class a lot. NO REVIEWS.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. I learned absolutely nothing about physical science. He is extremely vague with all his instructions, yet so specific when he grades. Very hard to understand and pay attention. He taught about space travel, and multiple dimensions in a pre-req physical science class. TERRIBLE.
HORRIBLE. Not a bad guy, but not a good teacher. We spent the majority of the semester having to watch movies at home, which was extremely pointless because the majority were not related to the tests whatsoever! NO STUDY GUIDES! doesn't follow the book & he tells us to study the slides which are just full of pictures so you're left clueless.
If there is one teacher to NOT take, it's him. He's not a bad person, he's just a terrible teacher. About every three days we had homework on the movies (two at a time) where we had to write about the science in each of the films, and then compare them. 12 movies total. 2 in-class exams on the lectures. 1 project on anything related to your major.
Run, run away fast. He said the final would be on lectures and at least 5 questions where in the book he said we did not need to read. Not at all flexable nor helpful.
Took for Honors Catastrophe Theory (interdisciplinary). I expected the course to be very introductory, but he does A LOT of detailed math and physics. During final presentation, he grilled people on math equations and concepts, and insulted projects that he found to be too simple or incorrect. Pick a different interdisciplinary.
Just choose another professor. Costas is probably too busy doing research to care about his Physics 1 class.
Don't do it unless you like teaching yourself and want a challenge. I scraped with a B.
Man this guy ... what can I say about this guy except that he is just one confused man in love with physics. I recommend having a friend in class to show you what example problems he might put on tests but other than that dont waste your time in lectures, read the textbook as much as possible because he will confuse himself and you in the process
Class is all theory based. Exams are short but hard theory/proof questions. Hard to understand. Sucks at teaching. DO NOT TAKE! Passed with a C, BARELY!
Don't take him if you can help it. It took way too much effort to pass this class. It is supposed to be a freshmen, gen-ed, physical science class. He is crazy about physics though that is almost all he teaches. He is hard to understand and really tough at grading. At test time I didn't recognize hardly any of the info and I went to each class.
Not a class you walk in & expect minimal work & an easy A. You will work hard & then harder. Don't think it's impossible, just really hard. Material could be relayed easier, but if you read the book you will better understand his lectures. He likes theory and will test your knowledge & your determination to remain in the Science field.
He's a rigorous guy. Really challenges you to think in his lectures. He's a good teacher in that he won't teach physics superficially. No memorization and plug and chug nonsense.
Costas is not a good teacher. Does he know the material? Of course he does but does he relay it in a way that could be easily understood and processed? No. If you dont already have a decent foundation in physics you will struggle. His class will make you LEARN AND UNDERSTAND the material. You will have to do all homework and labs to pass
I learned a lot; I did take him over the summer and WARNING; his class is an EXPERIMENT which might have been why the summer class is an easier one to take. He does know his stuff and enjoys getting off topic but I also think this is one of the PROS in his class because he is not required to cover everything and this might work in your favor.
I still don't know how to feel about him to be honest. If you have a good background in Calc and learn very well from the old fashioned chalkboard, you'll have a decent time if you can keep up with the lengthy Webassign. He tells you not to take notes but you should. Tests are 4 questions each with 1 theory question. He does have some extra credit
This professor is a good filter. His lectures are good and understandable. But the tests are hell. (about 30 average) . If you don't want to mess your gpa avoid it!!
AMAZING PROFESSOR!!!!! HANDS DOWN THE BEST PROFESSOR AT UCF
Costas explains concepts clearly. The most difficult part of the class is his exams. There are 2 exams and a final. All were very difficult. He does not provide you with any guidance on what to study, likes to include lots of calculus, and proofs of formulas. TAKE NOTES in the class even though he says not too. Must read textbook as well.
I found the lectures to be interesting and I would highly recommend taking notes. For homework, it is very important not to forget the due dates. Quizzes are simple enough and are announced in class. The tests should be taken very seriously and I had to study for many hours doing extra problems. Extra credit at the end for missed assignments!
Costas' lectures make me feel like I'm actually getting what I paid for in tuition. The tests are hard, but you can get an A in the class with a 55 average on all the tests, assuming you do the rest of the effort material (Homeworks, Quizzes and Labs). You either like him or not.
Took him for Physics 1 and got an A, but I had a fairly good background in those concepts already. Physics 2 is more electricity and magnetism and harder (for me) to conceptualize so that was more difficult. Tests can be tough, mostly proofs. Take notes even though he says not to, ESPECIALLY for proofs. Textbook can be quite helpful when needed.
Do not take this professor whatever you do, SAVE YOUR SANITY AND MONEY. PLEASE, just stay waitlisted in a different class if you have to, kids will drop within the first few days and you will get in. He advises you to not take notes in his class and I literally never knew what to do for a single homework problem despite using the book religiously.
One of the hardest classes I've ever taken. All the material in the lectures is exactly the same as the homework and the lab, problems, problems and more problems. The test are HARD, Almost no problems, they are all about proving formulas and equations. You definitely want to take notes in class even though he says not to do so, and read the book
He's very smart and kind of funny but he's at UCF to do research and it's obvious he does not care about teaching. He teaching almost exclusively theory and doesn't do full examples. Exams are very hard but you only need a 50 or 55 average to pass. If you put any work into studying you will pass, but your gpa will hurt.
He's not the worst, he's definitely not the best. The lectures seem like he's going on about nothing. Considering the tests are 4 conceptual questions max over stuff you don't cover in class, the book will be your best friend. The lab isn't hard, just make sure to do your work, along with the homework and quizzes. Easy B/C if you put in the effort.
He was incredibly hard and the saying of "there are no stupid questions" does not apply to him, he will laugh if there are questions he feel should be "obvious". DO your HW and Quizes, get at least a 50 on every test and you should pass with at least a C. KNOW how to derive/integrate every formula. One test question is from the HW and 1 from class.
Just show up and do the homework assignments online. You get 3 attempts to take it, from which he keeps the highest grade and drops the others. The rest of the class grade is determined by 5 papers wherein you may write anything you wish. Easy A. Don't blow it by not showing up. Takes attendance.
No tests/quizzes. 5 papers on movies assigned that are watched at home, that are graded a "1" if you have broken any rules and a "5" if all rules are followed. So if you write a great paper and format it wrong, you fail that paper. Write a bad paper but format it right, you pass. Gives online homework that is hard. Counts attendance. bad teacher
If youre an EE major, I HIGHLY recommend taking Costas for Physics 2. He is tough, but he explains in depth concepts and formulas that carry over into the future EMF and Semiconductors courses. Knowing how to set up an integral is vital for his tests. Hint: He can only give you 1 variable to integrate since Calc 3 is above Physics 2.
This class was a complete joke. Show up and sign in and you'll be fine. No tests or quizzes. Your grades included showing up and signing in, essays that he gave a SUPER clear grading rubric on (literally just write about science in a movie for 2 pages), and homework that gave you the answers. 10/10 would recommend. He's funny, too.
Honestly an easy class at first, but changed attendance policy halfway through from non mandatory to mandatory. Because of this I ended up with a B in my easiest class. There was no tests/quizzes but who knows. He probably will change his mind on that halfway through. Never gave any instruction on when HW was due in class or when he posted it.
Very hard professor, if you can, avoid him. Tests were 4 questions, all conceptual, no numbers on these tests. Everyone I know who took physics 2 with different professors or did scale up are passing, without much effort, this is not the case for me
Dr. Efthimiou's class is definitely not easy. If you are looking for an easy class, he is not for you. He focuses most on ensuring you understand the topics. That's why his tests don't have numbers, he wants you to understand concepts over anything else. He is a nice guy that doesn't WANT to fail you, but he won't make it easy to get an A. Study!
Don't take him if there's another option. I'm sure he's a nice guy out of class but in class not so much. He stresses to read the book but even through reading I struggled greatly. He has two in class test and a final ALL SYMBOLIC WITH NO NUMBERS. HW and Quizzes were a decent amount of the grade and he offered EC in those catagories as well.
Do not take Costas, all tests are conceptual with no numbers so the tests are crazy hard compared to the online homework and quizzes. Take physics 2 with someone else.
Whatever you do, don't take this class. It's more of a physics class than anything else. He also has no idea what he's talking about and you can't understand him half the time. Gets mad when you have questions and just started teaching stuff we need to know a month into the class
Very unhelpful regarding questions you may have, rude, and frankly if i could do it again I would never have taken this class with him as my professor. Did not provide a clear understanding of the material that would be on major tests or on how to solve the math based problems. Overall, Do not take this class with him. Period.
In general a hard class is fine and when I do poorly it feels like my fault, but in this class, for one test problem I forgot to distribute a variable, but everything elss was right, and for that ONE TINY ERROR, I got SEVEN points. Out of THIRTY. That's 23% of the points on that problem, for THAT. I've had hard, but THAT is just unreasonable.
Costas treats what should be an introductory Gen Ed class as if we are all physics majors getting our Ph.D. AVOID!
Goes off topic often. Tests on things not discussed. Does not explain things well. Hard to understand. Often refuses to answer questions from students. Words tests/ quizzes in ways that make it hard to understand.
PLEASE stay FAR, FAR AWAY from this professor. This class was a disaster. Graded on 3 exams (No tentative review and always at random), 5 Papers (Through TurnItIn-2 Pages, Single-Spaced!) and 5 homeworks (?????). This class was all over the place, and had no clear understanding of what was expected. 0/5 for EVERYTHING.
If you do all the homework and essays but fail the tests you can still get a C. But if you need an A, good luck. The tests are made to confuse you because of the wording. Go to class because he gives answers and look over his powerpoints. He is hard to understand and doesn't care about his students at all. Honestly, take another science Ged class
STOP WHILE YOU CAN!!! DONT TAKE HIS CLASS. Costas is extremely intelligent, however, he makes this beginner class nearly impossible because he talks more about advanced topics than he does about the fundamental material we actually need to know. The tests are ridiculously unlike his notes and his grading is very strict. DONT TAKE HIM
RUN. He is disorganized and rude. His lectures are all over the place, his tests are only 20 questions and worded in vague ways, even if you do the papers and hw, the tests are gonna interfere with your grade. The class exam average never rose above an F. He also never emails back and doesnt know how to use web courses. Try to avoid if you can.
This professor should not be giving lectures. His tests are not fair. They are not a lot of questions and the content is usually not covered. He also asks of students to write papers on movies and then allows his TAs to grade them however they wish. He has no communication through webcourses and trying to have a conversation is Impossible.
Tests are based on only lectures and are extremely vague. Teaches physical science likes it's a physics class.
I had to observe his lectures as part of my job. I have already taken physics and have seen almost every professor teach physics in UCF. But WOW. He is disorganized, has no power points, doesn't follow the book, and overall has no teaching ability. Every lecture is cringe material, and his students will not learn even the most basic concepts of PHY
This class was disastrous. Lectures were unorganized and unclear. He spent a tremendous amount of time giving students chances to guess answers to questions instead of actually teaching the material. The two tests we had were difficult, and he did not curve, despite the averages being Cs and Ds. Lab did not match material covered in class at all.
I took physics at high school, so the course was a breeze. Unlike many UCF professors, he takes time to explain everything in detail, not just read off the slides. Tests were quite hard, but since it was summer A, the grading policy was fairly liberal (2 exams, homework+lab). Take good notes, read the text - many HW and exam Qs come from it
He gave lots of online quizzes and homework which were great grade boosters. He was generous with test points. Tests were all conceptual with no numbers and many test questions were problems and proofs that he worked out in class. He said to not take notes, but definitely take notes and read the textbook to pass.
DO NOT take this professor if there are other options available. It doesnt matter if you have to take morning classes to avoid him, or change your entire schedule. You do not want to do this to yourself. Exams are 4 questions, no numbers. All conceptual, you have to read the textbook everyday to do OK on the exams. You WILL regret taking him.
This is not an easy class, however you will learn ALOT. If you attend lecture, and study your notes, he gives you all the information needed to succeed on his tests. There is a bonus problem at the end of each test, which can make up for lucking out on a problem. Theory based, tests are not AS bad as everyone says.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS I PROMISE YOU WILL REGRET IT IMMEDIATELY I have never written one of these and I knew I had to TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE DO NOT ENROLL IN ANY OF HIS CLASSES i promise you he is the most immature, blameful professor. He does not care at all about his students AT ALL. No lectures, no tutor sessions, no responses to emails AVOID HIM!
This is just horrible. Worst class and professor ive ever had. He is just absent. He doesnt do a thing for this class. No lectures, no studyguides. just read the textbook and hope ya pass the test. oh but the tests??? nothing like the textbooks. nothing like anything. good luck if you take this class.
The entire semester you do not know what your grade is even though the entire course is online. You are given a textbook and that is it for the semester. If you don't understand a chapter have fun watching the 5 minute long video that is supposed to help. He is not present for any of the course so you are basically going to teach yourself.
This professor did an absolute terrible job. I took this class during Corona and it was supposed to be in person but got moved to online. I was expecting him to actually teach me but he didn't. He has these assignments where you have to watch a movie and write an essay and all the movies were about space. He is also not clear about graded work.
Horrible professor! He is extremely difficult to get ahold of. When he does respond to emails he is rude and dismissive. This was suppose to be a physical science course and it was PHYSICS! He did not teach at all throughout the semester. Be prepared to teach yourself from a poorly written textbook.
I haven't had many physics professors yet, but this one doesn't seem particularly bad or good. He's passionate about astrophysics and grades leniently, but he's fairly bad at explaining things, easily sidetracked, and I didn't learn much this semester.
He's terrible. Made us buy a textbook so that we could teach ourselves the content, won't give any lectures, won't provide study guides and doesn't let you use calculators. All he's done in this class is send emails and make the webcourse and even then, none of it is original content, it's all powerpoint from the textbook. Terrible, just terrible.
I would not recommend taking this course online. It was very hard to communicate with him and his teaching assistant basically did everything for him, but they had no idea what they were doing. Very frustrating. Also, this class is physical science but he made us get a physics textbook and study physics. 5 papers, 2 pages each, single spaced.
Take PSC1121 with any other professor besides him. The whole course is self-taught, and the textbook is on Physics, not Physical Science, making the material harder. He doesnt teach at all and leaves the entire course to be led by his TAs. 5 papers on movies & 3 exams. Just a tedious GEP for no reason.
The most absent minded professor I have ever taken a class with. IF YOU HAVE TO TAKE THIS CLASS ONLINE DO NOT DO IT. You can't get a clear answer from the syllabus, professor, or TA about anything. The textbook does not actually teach content. RUN RUN RUN RUN I can't say that enough. Save your GPA and mentalstat and do ANY other option for this GEP
I took PSC1121 for summer semester online. At the beginning on the semester he said he does not like to lecture, meaning that the course is self taught. For someone like me, I had taken this course because I was told this is an easy science class for someone who is not good at science to get the credit. There is also an abundance of useless work.
Terrible professor/class! Difficult tests, 5 papers on movies where you have to write 2pgs single-spaced on the "science of the movie." Rambles on during lectures and makes you more confused on the topics than when you started. It is more like an advanced physics class than physical science so if you are taking for GEP go with a different option!
I took this class for physical science and received only physics. I think he would make a great physics professor, but this class was designed for people who aren't science majors. If you have to take PSC1121, take it with someone else.
worst professor ever. do not ever take this class. this class is pure physics and the tests are so hard. teacher is not caring and barely answers emails. avoid this class and teacher at all cost, don't even know how this is a physical science class. ucf needs to assess this course as a GEP for physical science
Please dont take this professor. He is the worst teacher I have ever had (and I am an all As student). THIS IS NOT PHYSICAL SCIENCE he teaches from a PHYSICS textbook. I didnt listen to the reviews and I am regretting it. This should not be a GEP. Please run while you still can. 5 papers, 3 pages, SINGLE SPACED. No study guides. Awful test ?s
This was supposed to be my easy class as my last credit for the GEP. It was my most difficult class. USELESS papers, lectures are extremely confusing and his tests are almost completely lecture-based. This is not an easy A whatsoever. It is taught as a physics course instead of an intro physical science class.
honestly the hardest class that I have ever taken. I gained absolutely no knowledge on the material and failed every single test, even though I studied and took extensive notes. 10/10 do not recommend.
RUNAWAY!!!! Seriously, a horrible professor. Barely replies to your emails when you inquire about more specificity and also this is a straight-up physics class and not a physical science one. Don't be fooled, take any other teacher for PS, not this one. You've been warned. Test heavy and papers on movies where you explain the science.
Grades consist of 3 tests and 5 papers (2 pages-single spaced) on movies where you describe the science. Tests are in person and difficult and attending lectures/taking notes/studying from slides were no help. His lectures are difficult to follow and don't follow the book. Hardly used the textbook. Teaching physics in a GEP physical science course.
The entire course is high level physics. I read all the chapters & took notes thoroughly, still got C's on (in person) exams. The 5 papers are busy work. Have to attend the lectures to have any idea what his powerpoints mean & even then it barely makes any sense. My mental health and life outside of school deteriorated b/c of this class, DON'T TAKE
Please save yourself and DO NOT take this professor. He is very difficult to understand during lectures, and creates his own tests which are impossible to pass regardless of how many classes you attend or hours you put in studying. The worst part is he makes you calculate your own grade in the class because webcourses is not accurate.
If he is the only professor available for this course, take a different class. You have to write two-page papers in single space every week, and there is an assignment due every day, even on test days. He uses ProctorHub for all exams. Extra credit can hurt your grade if done wrong. Every time I had a question he was demeaning and rude.
AVOID THIS CLASS AT ALL COSTS!!!! Teaches a GEP class at an advanced physics level. Requires 5 papers on selected movies that are 2 pgs SINGLE SPACED!! Class 2x per week is all lectures that are incomprehensible. Tests are extremely difficult and either ask difficult questions or specific things discussed in lectures. TAKE ANY OTHER CLASS/PROF!!!!!
This guy is super SMART. His lectures were amazing. Very organized lectures covering a big number of topics. I am a psychology major but I loved this class. It completely changed my perspective to science. Be prepared to do lots of HW. He gives weekly 2-page essays. And he sticks to the syllabus. Do not ask for anything not in the syllabus.
I stopped attending lectures after the second class. We had a group chat and the introduction of the class last TWO WEEKS. AND IT ONLY CONSISTED OF PSUEDOSCIENCE AND WHY GHOSTS AREN'T REAL. On the bright side, even though there were a lot of papers (one per week), I wrote several papers on aliens.
To succeed in the Honors section with him as your professor you MUST understand the underlying concepts of topics you go over, it isn't simply enough to grind out a bunch of problem variants and memorize methods of solving as he throws curveballs on exams that cover the entirety of a concept in unique ways. Very generous with grading though.
If you didn't take physics beforehand, his lecture style could definitely be a bit more difficult to understand. What I liked about his class however was that his lectures were highly interactive and he was always open to any question you ask him, answering it a very precise and understanding way. Make sure to always draw/write down what he says.
This was a Study Abroad class. It visited Athens, Nafplio, Sounio and the islands of Samos and Mykonos in Greece. No lectures, just hands-on experience. I learned a lot about the origins of science. There was enough free time to explore modern life and even night life. It costs a few thousand dollars but it is a FANTASTIC experience. TAKE IT.
I really liked the well-organized lectures. He works out on board every derivation to the fullest detail. However, he expects you to know them any time you are asked. The exams are essay-like problems based on the solved problems he does in class but they are not easy. Make sure that your calculus knowledge is solid otherwise you will struggle.
TERRIBLE! DO NOT TAKE! Doesn't teach anything in lectures and gives unfathomable amount of work.
Horrible. I cannot understand anything this professor talks about. He acts like a physics researcher rather than a professor. He only presents the information. He doesn't post any PowerPoints, or notes. I had no way of properly studying for his tests since there was NO MATH. All of his questions are open-ended.
uses a horrible platform for homework, assigns mountains of it. Almost impossible to get through. Lectures are hard, teaches as if you already have a PHD level of knowledge on the subject and calls you a bad student when you don't. I recommend skipping the lectures and hitting up tutoring, seriously. Cannot stress how much the homework sucks.
This is genuinely the rudest professor I have ever had at my time at UCF. He disrespects students who ask valid questions about the content, and makes them feel embarrassed. He also is not always clear with his policy on tests. Also pretty hard to understand b/c of thick accent, he also is disorganized. Save yourself the headache and avoid this man
Terrible professor. His tests are difficult and do not even involve any math. There are only 4 questions per test so if you get one question wrong, you're done for. The worst part is that you don't even get to see your grade in the class until the end of the semester. I spent months stressed out not knowing my grade in the class.
Professor Efthimiou himself is a great professor, but the course he teaches (namely PHY 2049C) is not structured well. The homeworks are an absolute pain and have NOTHING to do with the exams (just use chegg, they are extremely difficult). The exams are highly conceptual and if you just go to class then you'll be fine. Pay attention in lecture.
I really enjoyed professor Efthimiou's lectures, if you take good notes and pay good attention to the lectures you will pass the class, all exams are pretty heavily based on lectures so don't skip them
Incomprehensible lectures. I could not understand a single thing the professor was talking about. He does not care about his students at all. There was no study material available other than the textbook. If you have this professor, I highly recommend getting a tutor because that is the only way you are going to pass.
Tests are 4 questions that come from problems done in lecture. Really not that bad if you go to class and pay. attention. He expects a level of knowledge that is above a physics 1 level but overall not terrible.
I WANT to like him, but I can't. The lectures are incomprehensible and the textbook is too awful to help fill the gaps. Teaches like we know the material already, throws out equations randomly with no context, shames students for not following along. Manages lecture time poorly and complains. He clearly knows his stuff, but can't teach it for crap.
Taken fall of 2023. Went to his office hours once and never again i didnt know what i was doing but i needed at 40% to pass and the hw was worth 30%. But im annoyed because i was a 0.50% to getting a c but he didnt bump me up. I never responds to emails and he knows its a hard class. Test are lockdown browser cam on got a 40% every test very hard.
Worst professor I've ever had. Expects you to already be an expert on the topics he's supposed to be introducing during class - he literally called us stupid more time than I can count. Lots of homework, also lots of extra credit (worth extra 10%). Tests consist of 4 theory-based essay questions. Decently easy to pass but you won't learn anything.
TAKE ANOTHER PROFESSOR/CLASS!! Had poor email etiquette, didn't email in a timely manner, had zoom meetings he wouldn't record for students who couldn't make it, & makes you calculate your own grade on a spreadsheet. His papers are 2 page, single spaced on the "science" in movies, Pearson MyLab due during the final week, & a fully proctored final.
I could not understand a single thing this professor was saying. He has an accent but that is not the reason why. He is just unable to get his point across and the way he speaks makes it very easy to lose attention. However he does put a large curve on the final which is the only reason I passed the class so I thank him for that.
I have no idea how I passed
Exams are not related to the homework given. Grading criteria seeks to not give any points unless you do the exact solution he wants, rather than looking for places to give you points. He responds to anyone who asks questions in a way that makes them feel stupid. Optional midterm. Exam averages were failing grades. Gives extra credit.
just terrible AVOID AT ALL COSTS
Read the textbook, you won't pass if you just go to lecture. Exams have no numbers, they're just derivations. Know lecture and textbook derivations. Textbook is excellent, it's the best way to understand the material. Do the textbook problems. Homework is tedious.
I did not like Costas at all. If you miss one lecture you will fall behind. Do not procrastinate. He wants you to go to office hours, but puts people on the spot in front of others and makes them feel dumb if they make mistakes or are confused. Exams are very difficult, much worse than homework, and class averages were failing. I don't recommend.
I love Costas efthimou because he is the best teacher ever!
Worst professor so far in my entire time at college. He doesn't even care about you, just gives his lecture and expects you to understand everything on your own. He even grades way too harshly. If you are thinking of taking him, please don't!!!
dont take him!!, worst professor so far in my time in college. First of all, his accent is tough to understand then he doesnt care about how the lectures go because he expects you to understand it on your own. Also a very tough grader and the question paper he makes are difficult. After struggling the entire semester, I still just got a B+.
He goes on unhelpful tangents often, JUST LEARN FROM TEXTBOOK tests are graded harshly, no calculation questions just conceptual derivations in 4 questions. average was failing i believe for first exam. IF YOU DONT HAVE A GOOD CHUNK OF TIME TO PUT FOWARD ALMOST DAILY DO NOT TAKE THIS PROF. and do NOT take this class simultaneously w/ Nader dynamics
Went to a single lecture then dropped. Barely understood him. No exams dropped, all frq exams, which are also 4 questions long. Will pick on students on purpose within the lecture if you're on electronics no matter if you use it for notes. Literally just horrendous.
TERRIBLE!! DO NOT TAKE
This class has been horrible. Physics 2 is already a hard course, and he didn't help at all. His accent is very heavy which makes lectures worthless, so you have to teach yourself through the textbook. His TA messed up grading the exams and gave everyone 0's so we then had to go to office hours to fight for a better grade. DO NOT TAKE HIM!
Did not seem to care about actually teaching the material, opted to give a lot of busywork assignments that rarely related to anything in the lectures or textbook. Consistently disorganized class/syllabus and generally pretty rude to students who asked questions.
Costas isn't as bad as everyone makes him out to be. With his class comes a huge learning curve that causes a lot of outrage. Class averages are pretty much in the 30's, but is passable. Exams have no numbers, only deriving equations from limited information. Office hours is key, if you can defend your answer well enough he will give points back.
It felt as though office hours were a requirement to do good in the class. The course is essentially designed in a way that tells you the instructor knows he is setting you up for failure. Though it is likely you'll pass as you can fail every exam (need to do good on everything else), it will hurt your gpa. you need a 60 to pass.
If you're doing bad in this class it's really a skill issue. All you have to do to pass is attend the lectures and take notes. Then review the textbook before each exam. The exams are just like the problems he does in class or featured in the textbook. I really don't get the outcry. Not to mention the insane (lowkey unnecessary) curve he gives.
Very good lectures, explains concepts well. Exam questions come directly from lecture and the textbook which he says he "follows religiously." Attendance is not graded but if you skip lecture you WILL fail. Exams have 4-6 questions, no multiple choice. Not required, but for PHY2049 it would be smart to take calc III before/during.
no take him
He is a horrid professor, HOWEVER, has the easiest grading criteria I have ever seen within a class. His tests are all free response with steps to guide you. I got a 81% on test 1, test 2's grade was replaced by 1 (making 2 81's), leading me to need a 20% on the final for an A. I did 0 studying and got a 35% by writing formulas given. Insane.
The material was rough and I struggled to grasp the concepts. Meanwhile, Costas did just about everything to help students pass: a bunch of extra credit that was worth ~15% of your final grade, replacing on of the two exams with whichever was higher, the opportunity to go to office hours for additional partial credit on exams. Accent isn't too bad.
He was very condescending when people gave answers that aren't quite what he was looking for. Your whole grade is from 3 exams with 4 proofs each. The homework doesn't prepare you for it because it's all applied questions that aren't on the exam. Other professors for the same class had MCQ exams. Take at your own risk
He's passionate about physics but made this class unnecessarily difficult. I'd try and avoid him unless you really love physics and are up for the challenge
Spoke very disrespectfully in class. He would constantly ask questions, refuse to move on until they were answered, and cut people off before they could finish, even if their answer was equivalent to his own. Homework and recitation questions did not resemble test questions. The hostile educational environment created feelings of inadequacy.
Lectures are quite difficult, he will stop to ask questions constantly and pick apart your answers, right or wrong, if they aren't worded precisely how he expects. His office hours are consistently lined with students, and tests are sufficiently difficult. However, lots of problems come from the lecture. Great for learning physics but intense.
Was scared because of his reviews but he wasn't bad at all. Big curve makes it hard to fail. Tests are 100% lecture based and are pretty hard if you don't go to class. Homework was unhelpful and time consuming. Grading was really strict but partial credit was given. Go to class and study lectures before exams and you'll be fine. Plus he's funny.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
20%
Textbook Required
72%
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